Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’
Sober January for alcohol stocks as Brits ditch the booze Business After a boozy festive period, it’s time for non-alcoholic stocks to raise a toast, as millions of Brits take on Dry January. Diageo shares have shrunk 0.23 per cent this week to 1,597.8p, while Amsterdam listed Heineken shares fell 1.7 per cent to €68.32 (£59.20). Beyond January, Brits are becoming more sober conscious. Nearly 50 [...]
Foreign companies drive £19bn M&A surge as UK firms ‘attractively valued’ Takeovers of British firms reached the highest level in nearly three years as several multi-billion pound transactions made by foreign companies pushed up the value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), official data has shown. Inward M&A deals in the first three months of the year exceeded £19bn, nearly four times that seen in the last [...]
Food and drink deals spike as big firms look to strengthen positions Money M&A deal volumes in the food and drink sector saw a double digit rise last year, as buyers targeted undervalued companies in a bid to strengthen their positions in the market. Total deal volume rose to 151 deals in 2024, a 29.1 per cent increase from 117 deals in the previous year, while the total [...]
Bumper pay day for Britvic boss ahead of £3.3bn Carlsberg deal December 10, 2024 The chief executive of Robinsons squash maker Britvic has received a bumper pay day ahead of the group’s £3.3bn takeover by Carlsberg. Simon Litherland has been handed a £4.68m pay packet, up from the £2.86m he received in the prior year and £1.93m in the 12 months before that. The total is the highest Litherland [...]
Marston’s ditches brewing and switches to ‘pure play hospitality’ October 16, 2024 Pub group Marston’s has officially ditched brewing and announced a new strategy, which will see it focus entirely on pubs. In a vote of confidence for the UK’s hospitality sector, it will “embark on a new chapter” as a pure-play hospitality business, its chief executive Justin Platt said. “We are outlining a differentiated strategy for [...]
Competition watchdog takes interest in Carlsberg-Britvic merger September 10, 2024 The competition watchdog announced this morning that it had opened the first stages of an investigation into the tie-up between Carlsberg and rival drinks brand Britvic. Danish brewing giant Carlsberg agreed to acquire the British soft drinks maker for £3.3bn in July, in a significant push into the UK non-alcoholic drinks market. The CMA has [...]
Brewing giant slumped to loss ahead of Marston’s selling up to Carlsberg August 27, 2024 The brewing joint venture worth almost £800m between Marston’s and Carlsberg slumped to a loss in the year before the pub giant sold its stake, it has been revealed. Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company made a pre-tax loss of £25.2m in 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, having posted a pre-tax profit of £7.1m [...]
Marston’s: Euros boost for pub chain after Carlsberg deal July 24, 2024 England's success at the Euros helped boost sales at one of the UK's largest pub chains, weeks after the company sold its brewing business to Carlsberg.
Marston’s shares jump after it books £206m windfall from Carlsberg split to focus ‘entirely on pubs’ July 8, 2024 Pub group Marston's has sold its stake in Carlsberg for more than £200m as bosses outlined plans to focus "entirely on pubs".
Carlsberg strikes £3.3bn deal for FTSE 250-listed Britvic July 8, 2024 Directors at Britvic said the offer was "fair and reasonable" recommending unanimously that shareholder vote in favour of the scheme.